Laila stalked down the corridor to the team meeting. She had so much on her mind; first Zac’s odd reaction to the Elthea mission, and then General Russell ordering her back to Earth.
The weight of the lives lost during the Mars attacks weighed heavily on Laila's shoulders, and today the mantle of leadership was onerous. Laila forced herself to breathe calmly as she made her way through the space station.
The doors to the cargo bay where the team had assembled opened at her approach, the quiet hiss now comfortingly familiar.
It was one mission. One short, intelligence-gathering mission. And then she would go back to Earth. She knew she would return eventually, but to fight against the Xakul, not to act as some kind of figurehead. And then what? Be forced into retirement to work as a non-combatant?
She stopped in her tracks. Would this be the last time she would ever go into the field?
She forced herself to continue and, approaching the team who were standing in a group on the far side of the cargo bay, talking and laughing, she began, “Hello, everyone, let’s get started.” They all pulled up chairs, Zac settling into one next to hers.
She looked around the team seated before her and nodded as the Zataras’ captain, Tomas, approached and took a seat. “We have a mission.”
Domik cleared his throat, the big man's voice booming in the empty hanger. “Captain, are we finally going to get off this station and see some action?”
There was rustling as the group shifted in their seats, eager to hear what Laila had to say. She shot a glance at Zac.
“Yes, we will,” he said, lips pressed together.
“Yes, Domik, we have an actual mission.” Laila confirmed.
“Yes!” T’arq pumped his fist in the air, the pilot having regularly complained that he was itching to do more than fly simulated missions in the virtual suites.
Laila laughed, as happy as the rest of her team to be getting off the station. “You haven't even heard what the mission is!”
“I don't care. I just want to get off this rust bucket space station so bad I'd take a mission scrubbing bathrooms in the outer reaches.” T’arq continued to pump his fists in the air, his enthusiasm at odds with the focus he showed when in control of a ship. He was the best pilot Laila had ever known.
Even Zac smiled at T’arq’s antics.
“Hopefully it won't come to that,” she continued, dryly.
“We can't fail on this, there are too many people counting on us.” Zac’s more somber mood was clear.
The team settled, and Laila took a few minutes to describe the intelligence mission, and to discuss roles and responsibilities, Zac adding a few points where necessary.
Zac turned to Tomas. “When will the Zataras be ready for departure?”
“Tomorrow morning, all things going well,” the starship captain replied. “With a bit of luck the Elthea mission will go smoothly, and we’ll be able to get Captain Storey back to Earth without a hitch.”
They got to work: CJ checking medical supplies, T’arq running over every square inch of the shuttle they would use, and Domik and Oren working together to check over the comms and guns. Tomas returned to the Zataras, leaving Laila and Zac alone.
“You’re going back to Earth?”
